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moniipeters's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
cajesp's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thepaige_turner's review
5.0
Full review here: https://youtu.be/YubfXUoXZi0
One of the best books I’ve ever read. So sad yet so beautiful.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. So sad yet so beautiful.
owloutstanding's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
draculaura21's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
esshgee's review
3.0
3 1/2 stars. Hard to say I enjoyed this book considering the content (which many people have commented that there were no warnings), but it did keep me interested. Reading some other reviews, I agree there are few positive characters (male or female) in the story, and that all the boys seem to be complete douchebags - apart from Porus and his Dad
botopsy's review
4.0
A Girl Like That is a timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved. This novel reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers; tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion; and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and isolation that feels both inventive and universal.
My views
This book, A Girl Like That, is a good, engrossing read with an engaging plot and unusual writing style. I was pretty absorbed into this book while reading. I was so immersed in it that I completed this book in 2 days. In a very subtle and unique fashion, this book addresses the common problems in society from racism to class to bullying; and how fingers point at a woman, whenever something goes wrong.
I liked the way this book addresses many topics like love, family and individualism. And not to mention the fact that this book broke my heart as no other book did. This book starts with death and ends with death, the remaining story consists of whatever has happened in between.
Writing style
The writing style of this book is unique, lucid and candid. The author chose to narrate Zarin’s story in the voice of many characters associated with her throughout her life. The narration is the aftermath of the accident in which Zarin dies. Despite the fact that a reader knows from the start that Zarin is going to die and she had it coming, the author in her writing manages to captivate the reader till the end.
Characters
All of the characters of this book are remarkably reproduced. It’s rather surprising how the author manages to seamlessly squeeze in numerous flashbacks that paint a complete picture of everyone’s life. Within a couple of chapters, I was instantly connected with not only Zarin but also all the other characters. But the character that had a lasting effect on me is definitely Zarin and without a doubt, she is one of the characters that will stay with me forever. I have learnt a lot from this character.
Recommendation
Reasons to pick this book:
1. It is a fast and engrossing read that will surely put you out of the reading slump. Plus, it has an appealing cover.
2. It is a young adult that does not revolve monotonously around love interests.
3. It is a brave book that speaks in volumes about many aspects but its main theme revolving around women and society.
Reasons not to pick this book:
1. If you don’t like harsh and gruesome scenes.
2. If you don’t like complex characters and multiple point of views.
Finally, this is a wonderful and fast read; that on the hindsight contains a lot of lessons to learn. I’ll definitely look forward to reading more of her books. Pick this book and brace yourself for, this book will break your heart in a good way, of course.
My views
This book, A Girl Like That, is a good, engrossing read with an engaging plot and unusual writing style. I was pretty absorbed into this book while reading. I was so immersed in it that I completed this book in 2 days. In a very subtle and unique fashion, this book addresses the common problems in society from racism to class to bullying; and how fingers point at a woman, whenever something goes wrong.
I liked the way this book addresses many topics like love, family and individualism. And not to mention the fact that this book broke my heart as no other book did. This book starts with death and ends with death, the remaining story consists of whatever has happened in between.
Writing style
The writing style of this book is unique, lucid and candid. The author chose to narrate Zarin’s story in the voice of many characters associated with her throughout her life. The narration is the aftermath of the accident in which Zarin dies. Despite the fact that a reader knows from the start that Zarin is going to die and she had it coming, the author in her writing manages to captivate the reader till the end.
Characters
All of the characters of this book are remarkably reproduced. It’s rather surprising how the author manages to seamlessly squeeze in numerous flashbacks that paint a complete picture of everyone’s life. Within a couple of chapters, I was instantly connected with not only Zarin but also all the other characters. But the character that had a lasting effect on me is definitely Zarin and without a doubt, she is one of the characters that will stay with me forever. I have learnt a lot from this character.
Recommendation
Reasons to pick this book:
1. It is a fast and engrossing read that will surely put you out of the reading slump. Plus, it has an appealing cover.
2. It is a young adult that does not revolve monotonously around love interests.
3. It is a brave book that speaks in volumes about many aspects but its main theme revolving around women and society.
Reasons not to pick this book:
1. If you don’t like harsh and gruesome scenes.
2. If you don’t like complex characters and multiple point of views.
Finally, this is a wonderful and fast read; that on the hindsight contains a lot of lessons to learn. I’ll definitely look forward to reading more of her books. Pick this book and brace yourself for, this book will break your heart in a good way, of course.
ifyouhappentoremember's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a mixed bag for me. It had some parts that I liked and parts that I wasn't overly fond of. Ultimately, it was an uneven reading experience. I can't help but compare it to [b: Parachutes|46258515|Parachutes|Kelly Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572600302l/46258515._SY75_.jpg|71244656], a book I recently finished. Both books cover similar themes of sexual assault and rape culture, but I found A Girl Like That to be lacking in comparison.
A Girl Like That is such a depressing book and I found it difficult to get through this book. Literally nothing gets better for our main character, Zarin. I don't mind reading a depressing book it's just I find it unbearable to read if there isn't a sense of hope, some possibility of change.
I did like the complexity of Zarin, the main character, and Mishal, a secondary pov character. They're complex and mess in all the ways a teenage girl can be. Unfortunately, everyone else in this book is two-dimensional. Zarin's love interest, Porus is the ideal romantic lead and nothing else. The other two male pov characters are human trash fires.
Despite moments that I enjoyed, there were aspects I didn't really enjoy, making this a disappointing reading experience.
A Girl Like That is such a depressing book and I found it difficult to get through this book. Literally nothing gets better for our main character, Zarin. I don't mind reading a depressing book it's just I find it unbearable to read if there isn't a sense of hope, some possibility of change.
I did like the complexity of Zarin, the main character, and Mishal, a secondary pov character. They're complex and mess in all the ways a teenage girl can be. Unfortunately, everyone else in this book is two-dimensional. Zarin's love interest, Porus is the ideal romantic lead and nothing else. The other two male pov characters are human trash fires.
Despite moments that I enjoyed, there were aspects I didn't really enjoy, making this a disappointing reading experience.
gggina13's review
3.0
While I was reading this book I forgot that it was supposed to be sad. I got so caught up in the story that I forgot the premise. As sad as the ending was supposed to be, I honestly felt a sense of hope from it. The ending was very ultimate but I still have this feeling that there is a happier ending for Porus and Zarin somewhere else down the line.
hellwurld's review
5.0
i first read this book at twelve years old, my era of rushing to the local library after school everyday and taking out two, three, four books. it was the peak of my interest in grabbing any YA book that sounded vaguely feminist, but a description like that doesn't give this book the credit it deserves. i spent years looking for this book after i read it, having forgotten the name about a week after i read it in all my unmedicated ADHD glory and it seemingly being removed from the library. a girl like that is the kind of book that sticks with you, sticks with you long enough to go through the work of finding it to put on christmas lists. i got the book last christmas, but put off reading it until now. i understand now, at sixteen, why i spent so long looking for this book.
a girl like that isn't the most well written book. the word choices can feel clunky and out of place and it isn't a timeless book, dating itself with the references and the slang. but a girl like that has the unique quality of discovery. on every new read, you learn more about zarin, about the world she lives in and the people she knows. zarin and i live in completely different worlds, lead different lives in different ages in different cultures, and i worry my interpretation of her story will not do her justice. i will say this though: through zarin, tanaz bhathena shows her intelligence and her deep talent. her writing deals with incredibly heavy topics, and she handles it realistically. zarin, along with many other characters, has trauma that stretches back in her lineage and trauma that is fresh and new for her and only her. bhathena integrates these traumas into the story seamlessly, her characters the model image for showing how trauma shapes you and changes you and breaks you without flattening her characters into their trauma, into a stereotype or a plot device or a puppet for whatever criticism she is trying to make. a girl like that is a book with human characters, for better or for worse.
a praise often directed at books that deal with problematic themes and problematic characters is that "there are no good people and there are no bad people, only people." it's a sentiment that i don't mind and have even said myself. but, something i love about this book is that some characters are good people, are bad people. bhathena dabbles in the morally gray, but this book has good people and it has bad people and bhathena does not let that stop her from writing them as people. her writing is an example of how to write good/bad people without depriving them of character, of nuance or complexity. tanaz bhathena has mastered emotion and morality and character, and she has mastered the art of making me happy and sad and angry at the same time. levity is what makes tragedy worth it, and bhathena is walking gracefully on the line between the two.
this is too long of a review for me to be able to say my point in just a few sentences, but i can: a girl like that is a book that is also a human life, complicated and tragic and loving, where the characters grow up and let go and you do it with them. a girl like that starts and ends with death, and somehow, i'm not as sad as i thought i would be.
i fell in love with this book at twelve and it stuck with my whole life. a girl like that is a book about love, despite everything and in spite of everything.
a girl like that isn't the most well written book. the word choices can feel clunky and out of place and it isn't a timeless book, dating itself with the references and the slang. but a girl like that has the unique quality of discovery. on every new read, you learn more about zarin, about the world she lives in and the people she knows. zarin and i live in completely different worlds, lead different lives in different ages in different cultures, and i worry my interpretation of her story will not do her justice. i will say this though: through zarin, tanaz bhathena shows her intelligence and her deep talent. her writing deals with incredibly heavy topics, and she handles it realistically. zarin, along with many other characters, has trauma that stretches back in her lineage and trauma that is fresh and new for her and only her. bhathena integrates these traumas into the story seamlessly, her characters the model image for showing how trauma shapes you and changes you and breaks you without flattening her characters into their trauma, into a stereotype or a plot device or a puppet for whatever criticism she is trying to make. a girl like that is a book with human characters, for better or for worse.
a praise often directed at books that deal with problematic themes and problematic characters is that "there are no good people and there are no bad people, only people." it's a sentiment that i don't mind and have even said myself. but, something i love about this book is that some characters are good people, are bad people. bhathena dabbles in the morally gray, but this book has good people and it has bad people and bhathena does not let that stop her from writing them as people. her writing is an example of how to write good/bad people without depriving them of character, of nuance or complexity. tanaz bhathena has mastered emotion and morality and character, and she has mastered the art of making me happy and sad and angry at the same time. levity is what makes tragedy worth it, and bhathena is walking gracefully on the line between the two.
this is too long of a review for me to be able to say my point in just a few sentences, but i can: a girl like that is a book that is also a human life, complicated and tragic and loving, where the characters grow up and let go and you do it with them. a girl like that starts and ends with death, and somehow, i'm not as sad as i thought i would be.
i fell in love with this book at twelve and it stuck with my whole life. a girl like that is a book about love, despite everything and in spite of everything.